Stamp-canceling and postmarking machine.



No. 644,525. Patented Feb. 27, I900. J. L. LISTER.

STAMP CANCELING AND POSTMARKING MACHINE. (Application filed Jan: 21,1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 644,525. Patented Feb. 27, I900.

J. L. LISTER.

STAMP CANCELING AND POSTMARKING MACHINE.

(Application filed Jan. 21, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

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No. 644,525. Patented Feb. 27, I900.

J. L. LISTER.

STAMP CANCELING AND PUSTMARKING MACHINE.

(Application filed Jan. 21, 1899.)

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JOHN L. LISTER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

STAMP-CANCELING AND POSTMARKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,525, dated February27, 1900 Application filed January'Zl, 1899. Serial No. 702,924. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. LISTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Canceling andPostmarking Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of machines used in postal servicefor effecting the canceling of postage-stamps upon mail-matter,particularly letters, and also effecting the postmarking of suchmail-matter, the object of my invention being to provide amachine of thecharacter referred to that is substantially automatic in all of itsoperations in effecting the cancellation'and postmarking.

My invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a top or plan view of my machine. Fig. II is a top View ofthe mechanism under the table of the machine and showing parts of themechanism in horizontal section. Fig. III is-a detail end view of theadjustable guide on which the pressure-rollers are mounted and againstwhich the mail-matter travels during the time that it is being actedupon by the marker-head. Fig. IV is a view in side elevation of themachine. Fig. Vis a view in front elevation of the machine. Fig. VI isan enlarged detail face view of the marker-head and the lever by whichsaid head is controlled. Fig. VII is a top view of the marker-head andits lever. Fig. VIII is a detail end view of the marker-head-controllinglever shown in connection with a fragment of the marker-head. Fig. IX isa detail sectional view of the top disk of the markerhead, the shafts ofthe hour-wheels being shown in cross-section. Fig. X is a top view ofthe date-disk of the marker-head. Fig. XI is an enlarged verticalsectional view taken on a central line through the marker-head. Fig. XIIis an enlarged vertical sectional view taken centrally'through theink-Well of the machine and showing the inking-roller in elevation.

A designates the front of the machine, B and B the sides thereof, and Othe rear.

1 designates the machine-table, mounted upon suitable supporting-legs 2.

3 designates a partition located at a distance from the front A of thetable to confine the mail-matter placed upon the table between saidpartition and the front of the table.

4 designates a follower that is designed to carry the mail-matterforward to be fed into the passage-way between the marker-head and thepressure-rollers. This follower travels on the surface of the table 1and is connected to a strap 5, that is seated in a groove 6 in thetable, so as to be flush with the surface of the table. One end of thestrap 5 passes over a sheave 7, mounted in hangers 8, suspended beneaththe table 1, and from the sheave 7 the strap passes onto a sheave 9 in areverse direction, the sheave 9 being also mounted in the hangers 8. Thepurpose of passing the strap between the sheaves 7 and 9 is to afford abrake for said strap, which is drawn along the table by the weight 10,suspended upon one end of the strap. This weight drawing upon the strap5 causes the follower 4 to be pulled inwardly from the side B of themachine, thereby carrying the mailmatter ahead of said follower as fastas it is fed through the machine and operated upon.

The opposite end of the strap 5 from that provided with the weight 10passes over a sheave l1 and thence in a reverse direction over a sheave12, both of which sheaves are mounted in hangers 13. This arrangement ofthe strap passing through between the sheaves 11 and 12 provides asimilar brake for said strap to.

that formed between the sheaves 7 and 9.

The end of the strap 5 beyond the sheaves 11 and 12 has attached to itaseries of weights 14, that are connected at intervals along the strap.These weights are designed to descend into a box 15, mounted on one ofthe supporting-legs 2, and rest upon a false bottom 16, located in saidbox when the weight 10 is in its uppermost position and the follower 4is in its outermost position. The object of connecting the weights 14 tothe strap 5 at intervals is to provide for such weights being raised insuccession, one after another, as the follower 4 is moved across themachinetable. When the follower 4 is in its outermost position, theamount of mail-matter ahead of it is the greatest, and therefore suchmail-matter affords a maximum of resistance in carrying it across thetable, and the full effect of the weight 10 is requisite to draw thefollower forward. lVhen, however, part of the mail-matter has beendisposed of by being fed into the machine, as will hereinafter appear,the resistance to the forward movement becomes less and it is necessaryto effect a counteraction against the pull of the weight 10 upon thestrap and the follower connected thereto. At this time the weights 14are successively elevated on the movement of the strap 5, and as theamount of mail-matter before the follower decreases one after another ofthe weights 14 are lifted from their nested position in the box 15,thereby increasing the resistance to the downward movement of the weightat the opposite end of the strap and regulating the pressure of thefollower upon the mail-matter in carrying it forward. hen themail-matter has all been removed from in front of the follower, the saidfollower is drawn back for a fresh supply, thereby elevating the weight10 into the position seen in Fig. V and again lowering the weights 14into a nested condition in the box 15 on the false bottom containedthereby. Beneath the false bottom 16 are supporting-springs 17 and alsoelectrical conductor-contacts 18. One of these contacts 18 is incommunication with a suitable motor, (see Fig. 11,) by which themechanism of the machine is driven, and when the weights 14 are allwithdrawn from the box 15 the said contacts are separated and theelectrical circuit between them is broken, so as to cut off the supplyof current to the motor. This action is designed to occur when themail-matter has been entirely exhausted from in front of the follower 4,at which time, as will be understood from the foregoing description, theweights 14 have all been elevated from the box 15 that receives them.The breaking of the circuit through the contacts 18 causes the motor bywhich the machine is 0perated to stop automatically as soon as themail-matter being acted upon has become exhausted. lVhen the follower4isagain drawn outwardly and the weights 14 again descend onto the falsebottom 16, the contacts 18 are brought together and the circuit to themotor is again completed to put the machine mechanism into operation.

19 designates a guide located on the table 1. This guide also forms astop for the mail-mater in its forward movement under the action of thefollower 4, and it is inclined from its outer end inwardly, as seen inFig. I, for the purpose of causing the mail-matter to be forced inwardlyalong the guide as it is pressed thereagainst by the said follower,thereby causing the mail-matter to be more readily fed into thepostmarking and canceling mechanism to be described.

On the partition 3 is an adjustable flexible strap 20, that is providedwith a longitudinal slot 21, (see Fig. V,) in which an adjustable bolt22 is seated that passes through the partition 3 to secure the flexiblestrap thereto. The purpose of this flexible strap will hereinafterappear.

23 designates a frame mounted 011 the table 1 and adjustably securedthereto by setscrews 24, fitting in elongated openings 25 in said frameand passing into the table 1.

26 designates a guideplate adjustably mounted on the frame 23 andsecured thereto by set-screws 27, seated in elongated openings 28 in theguide-plate. The guide-plate 26 is provided with an upturned flange 29,that forms a guide against which the mailmatter travels after leavingthe guide 19, the said mail-matter passing between said upturned flange29 and a guide 30, disposed opposite to the flange 29, (see Fig. 1,) soas to form a passage way between such parts through which themail-matter is conducted.

31 designates pressure-rollers mounted in rocking arms 32, pivoted tothe frame 23, which pressure-rollers are arranged to project throughopenings in the flange 29 into the path of the mail-matter in its travelbetween the flange 29 and the guide 30. The rocking arms 32 are formedwith spring-fingers 33, one of which bears against a stud 34 and thesecond of which bears against the first rocking arm at its pivot.

The object of adjustably mounting the frame 23 on the machine-table isto provide for its adjustment to'or from the oppositelydisposed guides19 and 30, so as to present the pressure-rollers 31 in proper positionto bear against the mail-matter being operated upon relative to thethickness or character of such mailunatter. It will be understood thatthe mail-matter is placed on edge between the follower 4 and guide 19and is fed in this position between the guide and flange 29 of theguide-plate 26. The guide-plate 26 is adjustably secured to the frame 23for the purpose of allowing the adjustment of said guide-plate withoutdisturbing the frame 23 when, for instance, it is desired to feed intothe machine a few articles of mail-matter of varying thickness fromthose for which the frame 23 was originally set.

designates a feed-roller mounted on the table 1, arranged to projectthrough an openingin the guide 19 ata location approximately in linewith the partition 3 and the flexible strap attached to said partition.This feedroller is adapted to operate by frictional contact against eacharticle of mail matter pressed forward to the guide 19 and carry eacharticle singly inwardly to be acted upon by the marker-head. Theflexible strap 20 extends into contact with the guide 19 and liesagainst the adjacent end of the flange 29 on the guide-plate 26. As thefeed-roller 35 draws upon each article of mail-matter the extreme end ofthe flexible strap 20 is forced inwardly by the article, allowing butthe single article to be carried inwardly by the action of thepressure-roller. 36 designates a second feedroller that projects throughan opening in the guide 30 and is adapted to bear against the oppositeone of the pressure-rollers 31 and conduct the mail-matter along throughthe passage-way between the guide 30 and flange 29 as the saidmail-matter reaches such position.

I now come to the description of the markerhead, which is shown indetail in Figs. VI to XI, inclusive.

37 designates the bed-disk of the markerhead, which is rigidly mountedon the shaft 38, seated in asuitable bearing supported by the table. Thebed-disk 37 is provided at its periphery with the characters 39, (seeFig. XL) designating the name of the postal office at which the postalmarking is effected. Mounted on the bed-disk is a second disk 40, whichI will for convenience term the date-disk. This date-disk is recessed at41 to receive dating-type 42. The type 42 bear characters designatingthe date, as is seen in the intermediate line of characters illustratedin Fig. VI. The outer type 42 have their inner or facing edges formedobliquely to their outer edges, and they are held in place by thecentral type 42, which is of wedge form (see Fig. X) and fits snuglybetween the oblique edges of the outer type. The central type 42 is heldin place by pins 43, projecting upwardly from' the bed-disk 37 andentering apertures 44 in said central type. The date-disk40 is providedat top with a pin 45, that enters an aperture 46 in the top disk 47,mounted on the datedisk, said pin serving to hold the top disk fromturning on the date-disk.

48 is a sleeve surrounding the shaft 38, resting on the bed-disk 37 andextending through the date-disk 40 and up into the top disk 47. The disk47 is provided with recesses 49, (see Fig. IX,) that receive wheels 50,provided at their peripheries with characters 51, designating the hoursof the day, which wheels are arranged to be turned to bring the desiredcharacters to the periphery of the markerhead. The rollers 50 aremounted on shafts 52, seated in the disk 46, and on each roller is apinion 53, that is fixed to the roller, so that the roller may be turnedtherewith.

54 designates aknob designed to be grasped by the fingers and which hasa sleeve portion fitting over the upper end of the shaft 38 andextending down through the top disk 47. Carried by the sleeve of theknob 54 is a toothed flange 55, the teeth of which are adapted to meshwith the teeth of the pinions 53, so that the turning of said knob 54will cause the movement of said pinions and the consequent turning ofthe hourwheels 50 to bring the desired characters thereon to theperiphery of the marker-head. The knob 54 is held to the shaft 38 by aspring-controlled catch 56, having a hook designed to engage an annularnotch 38 in the upper end of the shaft 38. (See Fig. XI.) Thisspring-catch 56 holds the knob 54 securely to the shaft 38 and maintainsall of the parts of the markerhead securely in position; but when it isdesired to change the date-type 42, which is necessary each day, thecatch 56 is disengaged from the shaft 38 and the top disk 47 is removed,thereby permitting the alteration of the date-type. The toothed flangeis held from retrograde movement by a spring-controlled detent 57.

58 designates type pivoted in the recessed portion 49 of the top disk 47which bear characters A. M. and P. M. denoting the portion of the day.These pivoted type are movable within the recess 49,so that either oneof them, as may be desired to suit the portion of the day, may be turnedto bring its outer free end to the periphery of the marker-head, whilewhen either is out of use it is thrown inwardly, so that its free endwill lie Within the peripheral surface of the marker-head and beinoperative. The said type 58 are held in either desired position by setpins or screws 59, extending through the top disk 47 from its uppersurface. (See Figs. VII and IX.)

60 are pivoted type similar to those 58, that bear charactersdesignating the fractions of hours. These type are similarly arranged tothose 58, so that when it is not desired to imprint the fractional partof an hour on the mail-matter the said type 60 may be thrown inwardly toremove its free end from the peripheral surface of the marker-head. Onthe upper surface of the marker-head are bosses 61, located at theperiphery of the markerhead, and nearer the axis of the marker-head arestuds 62.

63 designates a rocking lever pivoted to the table 1 and provided with anotch 64, that is adapted to engage the studs 62. The free end of thisrocking lever extends across the top of the marker-head, so as to becapable of impinging against the bosses 61 in their travel. In the endof the rocking lever is a pivoted dog 65, (see Fig. VI,) which iscapable of rising and falling at one side only of the lever. On theouter end of the rocking lever is a knob 66 by which the lever may begrasped. The rocking lever is limited in its outward movement bya stop67, and its move ment in the opposite direction is controlled by aspring 68. The free end of this rocking lever is arranged in the path ofthe mailmatter in its travel between the guide-flange 29 and guide 30.The entire marker-head is provided at opposite positions of itsperiphery with flat portions coincident with the bosses 61 on top of themarker-head. As the mailmatter is fed inwardly each piece of it strikesagainst the rocking lever 63, forcing said lever inwardly against theaction of the spring 68 and causing the said lever to push against theopposing boss 61, and thereby start the marker-head in its operativemovement. The turning of the marker-head by the movement of the rockinglever 63 causes the flat portion of said head previously opposing theinkingroller 69, as the parts appear in Fig. I, to be carried away fromthe said inking-roller and brings the adjacent rounding portion of themarker-head against the inking-roller, so that the said roller willturnthe marker-head while inking its periphery. The flat portions of themarker-head are provided for the purpose of accomplishing a stoppage ofthe marker-head after each article of mail-matter has been markedthereby, so that an interval will occur between the marking of eachsucceeding article to allow for the preceding article to have passed outof the way and the next succeeding article to have been carried intoposition to be marked, and the rocking lever starts the marker-head eachtime after its stoppage, as will be understood from the foregoing. Therounding portions of the markerhead are provided with ribs or any otherdesirable configurations that are designed to be inked and effect theirimprint on the mailmatter over the stamps to effect the cancellation ofthe stamps. The pivoted dog bears against the bosses 61 in the forwardmovement of the rocking lever 63, and as the succeeding boss 61 reachesthe said dog it passes thereunder, permitting the dog to fall behind itready to act against the boss on the next movement of the rocking lever.As the marker-head travels around and the mailmatter is passing throughbetween its guides the rocking lever is held inwardly in the positionseen in dotted lines, Fig. VII, and at the end of each marking operationthe studs (32 move into the notches 64, contained by the rocking arm,and are brought to a standstill to stop the movement of the marker-headmomentarily and cause a sufficient stoppage of the parts to permit therocking arm to be returned to the position shown in full lines, Fig.VII, by its spring 68. The inking-roller is mounted on a shaft and isinclosed by a casing 71, except at is surface, which opposes themarker-head. Alongside of the inkingroller is an ink-well 72, providedwith a door 73 and having an outlet 74 leading into a receptacle belowthe ink-well that contains an absorbent 75, such as a sponge, adapted tosupply the ink to the inking-roller in a gradual manner. The absorbent75 is supported on a perforated false bottom 76, beneath which is a duct77, through which drip from the absorbent may find egress into a pan 78or similar receptacle. After its passage through the guideways and beingmarked the mail-matter passes onto an endless conveyer 79, traveling onsuitable rollers supported from the table of the machine. This conveyercarries the mail-matter to any convenient location, such as anassorting-table.

The parts of themachine are driven by the following mechanism:

8O designates the drive-shaft, vertically mounted beneath the table in ahanger 81 and provided with a drive-pulley 82. On the drive-shaft is apulley 83, that receives abelt 84, leading to the pulley 85 on a shaft86, mounted in a hanger 87. The shaft 86 carries a pinion 88, thatmeshes with a gearwheel 89 on a shaft 90, mounted in a hanger 91. On theshaft 90 is a worm 92, that meshes with a Worm-wheel 93, carried by theroller on which the conveyer 79 is mounted, so that by the operation ofthese parts the said conveyer is driven. On the shaft 80 is a pulley 94,that receives abelt 95, that leads to a pulley 96, carried by the shaft70 of the inking-roller 69. Above the pulley 94 and also on thedrive-shaft is a pulley 97, that receives a belt 98, that leads to apulley 99 on the shaft of the feed-roller 36. The feedroller 35 iscarried by the drive-shaft 80, so that it receives its motion from saidshaft.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a postmarking and stamp-cancelingmachine, the combination of a table, a marker head, feeding mechanism, afollower arranged to carry the in ail-matter to said feeding mechanism,a strap by which said follower is carried, a weight on said strap, aseries of counterbalance-weights carried by said strap, a box into whichsaid counterbalance-weights are adapted to move, a spring -supportedfalse bottom in said box, electrical conductor-contacts arranged betweenthe body of said box and said false bottom, a motor and connectionsbetween said motor and said contacts, substantially as described and forthe purpose set forth.

2. In a postmarking and stamp-canceling machine, the combination of atable, a marker head, feeding mechanism, a follower arranged to carrythe mail-matter to said feeding mechanism, a strap by which saidfollower is carried, a weight on said strap, a series ofcounterbalance-weights carried by said strap, and sheaves arranged inpairs on which said strap travels in reverse directions,substantially asdescribed.

3. In a postmarking and stamp-canceling machine, the combination of atable,a markerhead, guides against which the mail-matter bears in itstravel past said marker-head, an adjustable frame on said table, anadjustable guide-plate mounted on said frame, and pressure-rollersmounted on said frame adapted to bear against the mail-matter,substantially as described.

4. In a postmarking and stamp-canceling machine, the combination offeeding mechanism, a marker-head, a rocking lever having its free endarranged in the path of travel of the mail-matter through said feedingmechanism, said lever being adapted to engage said marker-head to moveit, an inking-roller and means arranged to impart motion to saidinking-roller and marker-head, substantially as described.

5. In a postmarking and stamp-canceling machine, the combination offeeding mechanism, -a marker-head, a rocking lever, studs on saidmarker-head with which said rocking lever is adapted to engage, saidlever having its free end arranged in the path of travel of themail-matter through said feeding mechstamp-canceling machines, thecombination of disks bearing characters designed to be imprinted on themail-matter, a shaft on which said disks are mounted, a knob by whichthe parts of the marker-head may be manipulated, and a spring-catchcarried by said knob adapted to connect it to said shaft, substantially20 as described.

JOHN L. LISTER.

In presence of- E. S. KNIGHT, STANLEY STONER.

